15 January 2015

Our vendors: Horacio - Hecho En Buenos Aires, Argentina

Horacio has been selling HBA for more than
three years, ever since he was encouraged to find out more about the street paper by a friend "who was having some
problems and who had been encouraged to take part in HBA’s art workshops".

Hecho En Buenos Aires (HBA) vednor Horacio.

He says: "I
didn’t know about the magazine but they asked if I wanted to sign up, and I had
been out of work with health problems for such a long time.”

Prior to selling HBA, Horacio worked in a factory job in Buenos Aires,
sitting all day at a sewing machine, which proved to be back-breaking work. Now,
he says, he feels brilliant: “I like it because the street has its charms,
people always come up and chat to me at my pitch. I don’t make readers feel
obliged to buy the magazine – I like to show them that I work with dignity.”

Some people, he explains, complain about the 15-peso price,
despite this only giving him enough for two bottles of milk, but Horacio has
regular customers who buy from him as soon as the magazine comes out.

“And then there’s the guy that passes by for the first time
and you win him over because he likes you,” he adds.

“I think there are some people who buy it simply because you
are homeless, but there are lots of people who are really interested in
whatever the subject matter of the magazine is – the content is good quality.”

Horacio says his life has changed since selling HBA. He now
manages his own money and is enjoying the freedom and possibilities that
offers.

“I would like to have my own place, a place where I can
relax, rest my head at the end of the day,” he says.

“I would like to have a family eventually but everything will
happen in time. With faith, I will be able to do this. To my readers – I need
them so much, just as they need me. Let’s keep the machine going.”

Did you know INSP works with over 114 street papers around the world?
You can help celebrate thousands of vendors, like Horacio, by joining our Thunderclap social media campaign during #VendorWeek 2015. Sign up here.